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66 Chapter 4
Installing a PCI Expansion Card or Replacing the AGP Card
You can expand the capabilities of your Power Mac G4 by installing cards in its expansion
slots. The computer has four expansion card slots, three of which accommodate peripheral
component interconnect (PCI) cards and one that accepts an AGP card.
AGP cards and PCI cards have different connectors, so you cannot insert a PCI card into the
AGP slot.
About AGP Cards
Your AGP card, installed in slot 1, provides the computer’s monitor port. Slot 1 is designed
specifically to accept AGP cards that have a 32-bit data width. This 66 megahertz (MHz) slot
accommodates 3.3 volt (V) AGP 1X and AGP 2X cards.
You can replace the card that came with the computer with an AGP 1X card, 2X card, or 4X
card that also operates at 2X speed. A replacement AGP card must have a driver compatible
with the Mac OS. Maximum power consumption for a replacement AGP card should not
exceed 8 watts (W).
Video memory is supplied by synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) soldered onto the AGP card.
Standard Macintosh models come with 16 megabytes (MB) of SDRAM video memory.
About PCI Expansion Cards
Your Macintosh has three expansion slots, labeled 2, 3, and 4, which accept PCI cards up
to 12 inches long. Some models come with a SCSI PCI card installed in one of these slots.
Install only expansion cards that come with Macintosh driver software and that comply with
the PCI 2.1 standard.
The three PCI slots can accommodate mixed voltage (5.0 V or 3.3 V) cards with 32-bit or
64-bit data widths and a 33 MHz frequency. You can add a 66 MHz card to a PCI slot if the
card can operate at the lower 33 MHz rate.
Maximum power consumption for all three PCI expansion cards should not exceed
45 watts (W).
Warning Do not use cards that function only at 66 MHz in these three PCI slots. Damage
to your equipment could result. If you have a 66 MHz card, check the card’s manufacturer
to see if it also works at 33 MHz.